Backstay-fastener.



H. J. McGRAIL.

BACK STAY FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 8. 1915.

1,173,]; 16.. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

HUGH J. MQGRAIL, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

BACKSTAY-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Application filed March 8, 1915. Serial No. 12,800.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH J. MCGRAIL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Backstay- Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a back stay fastener, and the primary object of my invention is to provide simple and effective means, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, for adj ustably connecting back stays or back stay straps to the body of an automobile, without injury to the back stays or straps, and in such a manner that the fasteners can be repeatedly adjusted to compensate for stretching of a back stay or strap.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple durable and inexpensive back stay fastener, the principal part of which can be easily and quickly stamped from sheet metal to form a novel coupling member between an automobile body and the back stay or strap.

The mechanical construction by which I attain the above and other objects will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is the rear elevation of a portion of an automobile provided with back stay fasteners in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the same showing an edge View of a back stay fastener; Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of a fastener, and Fig. 4 is an edge view of the same partly broken away and partly in section.

In the drawing, 1 denotes a portion of an automobile body having upholstery 2, a rear bow 3, a top 4, a back stay 5, a back stay curtain 6, and back stay straps 7 provided with buckles 8 of a conventional form and looped ends 9.

It is the manner connecting ends 9 of the straps 7 to the body my invention relates. In practice, I provide the top rail 10 of the body 1 With bolts 11 contiguous to the side Walls-of the body and the looped 1 to which Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, I). (3.

on the outer ends of the bolts are placed spacer sleeves 12, fasteners 13 and nuts 14, although other means can be employed in lleu of the nuts for retaining the fasteners upon the bolts.

Each fastener isin the form of a plate provided with a series of apertures 15 and the upper end of the plate is enlarged or provided with a transverse head 16. This head has a longitudinal slit and transverse end slits 17 and 18 respectively, said slits providing a tongue 19 which is bent out wardly and upwardly against the head 16, thereby providing a slot 20 which has the upper wall thereof rounded, as best shown in Fig. 4.

I attach considerable importance to the formation of the slot 20 which receives the looped end 9 of the strap 7, as the tongue 19 or the rounded wall of said slot prevents the metallic edge of the fastener 13 from cutting through or injuring the looped end of this strap. Furthermore, the series of openings 15 permit of the fastener plate being repeatedly positioned upon a bolt to compensate for any stretching of the strap 7 and to correctly position the same, and by using the spacer sleeves 12, the fasteners do not interfere with the upholstery 2, although in some instances these spacer sleeves can be dispensed with.

The back stay fasteners are invisible when installed, and while one embodiment of my invention has been illustrated, it is to be understood that the fastener is susceptible to such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

\Vhat I claim is In a back stay fastener, the combination with an automobile body, and back sta straps, of bolts carried by said automobile body, plates having a series of apertures adapted to receive said bolts, and tongues struck out of said plate to provide slots adapted to receive said back stay straps.

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGH J. MCGRAIL.

Witnesses:

OTTO F. BARTHEL, ANNA M. Donn.

Commissioner of Patents, 

